


Batman V Maleficent: Sum of All Evil

by Farrell14



Category: Batman - Fandom, Disney - Fandom, Maleficent (2014)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-05-16 14:30:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19320070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farrell14/pseuds/Farrell14
Summary: In this crossover DC's Batman faces off against Disney's most fearsome villainess, Sleeping Beauty's dark fairy Maleficent in a battle of wills that becomes increasingly dangerous and personal.





	1. Chapter 1

Batman and all related characters belong to DC comics and Maleficent belong to Walt Disney and all other related companies. As always thank you and enjoy the crossover story.  
 

* * *

It was just another gloomy, dangerous night in Gotham City in Batman's opinion. He had only been out on patrol for two hours and had stopped three muggings, a kidnapping and just now an attempted rape. Bruce was standing atop of an abandoned building in Park Row, watching as the GCPD hauled away the sexual predator he just apprehended. Looking down grimly, Batman heard the distinct 'breep' in his cowl, telling him that someone was trying to contact him. The information on his heads-up-display in the lenses that covered his eyes told him that person was none other Barbara Gordon, his former side-kick Batgirl, now known as the super hacker Oracle after being shot at the hands of the Joker that left her paralyzed from the waist down. "Go ahead Oracle." Batman said into his cowl's headset.

_"Batman, I just picked up a major energy spike at the Star Labs building in Ryker Heights."_

"Any idea what it could be?" Batman asked directly.

_"Not yet, whatever it is it's big, I'm running an analysis on it right now, I'll get back to you when it's ready."_ Barbara added with a hint of nervousness

"I'm on my way, thanks Oracle." Batman replied after a moment of contemplation before gliding off the rooftop; tapping away on his gauntlet to summon his iconic Batmobile. Gliding off the building to drop right into the super-car and promptly kicked in the after-burner and peeled out towards Ryker Heights

His radio squawked again with another call from Barbara. _"Bruce I finished the analysis on the spike, and I hate to say this, but..."_ Oracle stated as her voice trailed off.

"Say it anyway." Bruce replied dreading the answer he was going get.

_"It's consistent with an interdimensional rift; not only that, EMF readings at the site are off the chart; Bruce I don't like this, do you need me to call back up, the Justice League even?"_

"No, not yet." Batman replied after a moment of contemplation.

_"Are you sure?"_ Babs replied with concern.

"Yes Barbara, I'll be in contact." Bruce said as he ended the communication. This really can't be good; he thought after hanging up with Oracle. Getting on the bridge to Kingston, Batman kicked in the afterburner which caused the Batmobile to shoot off the end of bridge and land on the street and shoot down the street and arrived at the Star Labs building in less than three minutes. Exiting the Batmobile, the Dark Knight surveyed the area, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Of course that didn't mean anything, the many years as Batman taught Bruce. Batman approached the twelve story building and immediately contacted Barbara.

"Oracle, I'm at Star Labs; it's too quiet." Bruce stated

_"You got that right; Star Labs just went on emergency lock-down, and I mean lockdown, their firewalls have shot up like crazy, it's going to take me a minute to crack."_ Oracle replied.

"Understood, in the meantime, download the most up to date schematics, to my suits GPS." Batman commanded to his trusted hacker.

_"Already did it B."_ Barbara replied.

Raising his gauntlet to his face to tap away on the built in keys to bring up the holographic image of the schematics to study. Identifying points of entry, Bruce calibrated his cowl's detective vision to spot the entry points. Batman through his detective vision was able to identify a vent grate covering about two stories up from the ground. Firing his Batclaw, he easily removed the grate and used his grappling gun to propel himself into the ventilation system. Bruce having memorized the system began navigating through the vents.

'Breep!Breep!' It was Oracle.

_"Batman I'm in, I'm looking at the security feed right now; wait a sec, your suits GPS is showing you in the vent systems?"_

"Yes, is there a problem?" Batman asked confused.

_"Uh, yeah, then who is in Lab 1A on the fourth floor; I thought it was you?"_ Babs replied clearly disturbed by what she's seeing.

"What do you mean!?" Bruce responded not sure he heard right.

_"I'm looking at the security feed for Star Labs, and there's somebody in Lab 1A that I thought was you."_ Oracle replied confused.

"What do you see?" Batman asked with growing concern.

_"Security has the person surrounded; it looks like a woman holding a staff wearing a long black cloak and a cowl."_ Barbara described to a bewildered Batman. _"That's why I thought she was you; it looks like some scientists or techs are trying to talk to her, wait… holy!"_ Oracle cried at the same time a bright flash of light and a loud thunderous clap of thunder exploded through the facility that nearly deafened Batman. The explosions set off several alarms

"Barbara, what happened?!" Bruce asked caught off guard by the explosion.

_"That woman just launched an electrical elemental attack from her staff!"_ A surprised Oracle gasped in disbelief.

"The scientists and security?" Batman grimly asked already suspecting the answer.

_"Dead or injured; wait it looks there's some survivors hiding in a control room."_ Barbara answered.

"Understood, I'm heading there now." Bruce stated with determination.

_"Bruce, are you sure you don't need me to call backup, whoever this is they…."_   Oracle tried to interject but was cut off by Batman.

"No; this isn't my first time dealing with enemies more powerful than me Barbara." Batman gruffly replied.

_"But!"_ Oracle tried again to interject but was once again cut off by Bruce.

"I'll be in touch." And with that he cut off Oracle and proceeded through the vent shaft until he came to an opening and kicked it out to let himself out. Seeing there was no security in the area in he dropped down into the hallway as alarms kept blaring. Realizing he was still on the second floor Bruce sprinted to the nearest staircase and burst through the door and quickly ran the two flights of stairs coming to the door when Barbara called again.

_"Batman, GCPD has been alerted by the alarm from the lab."_

"Tell Commissioner Gordon to keep his people at a safe distance until we know what we're dealing with." Batman commanded.

_"Understood; one more thing Bruce, I overruled you, I alerted the rest of the team; they're all in route to Star Labs, and Dick is coming down from Bludhaven."_ Oracle stated matter-of-factly.

"Barbara!" Bruce irritably started but this time was cut off by Barbara.

_"Bruce, I've had a bad feeling about this ever since I saw that energy spike, and whoever or whatever we're dealing with has superpowers and from I'm seeing possibly magical powers, you're going to need help whether you want it or not and frankly I should call the Justice League, but against my better judgement I'm going to wait and see who and what we're dealing with."_ Barbara declared with finality.

"Fine!" Batman grumbled with anger and cut Oracle off. Barbara was practically the only person who could infuriate him like that. Then again deep down Bruce knew and trusted Barbara enough to know she was right. Regardless he opened the door. His memorizing of his the specs of the building told the lab in question was just down the hall and to the left. Turning on his detective vision, he could see through the walls that there were a group of people outside lab and by the looks of it, some of them were injured. Racing down the hall and turning left when he reached the end of the hall. Sure enough, it was the security and scientific personnel, several of whom were badly injured. Turning off his detective vision Batman approached when a guard turned to him.

"Batman; thank God someone's here." He said to Bruce.

"What happened?" Batman

"They were conducting some sort of interdimensional experiment in that lab; oh man whatever they found it's bad, she, it, or whatever followed them back and attacked everyone, she was shooting lightning and fire; it was insane!" The guard breathlessly recounted.

Finding a somewhat unscathed scientist Batman confronted her about the now confirmed interdimensional rift.

"Why are you conducting an illegal experiment?!" He snapped.

"We were just doing what we were told I swear that's it!" She cried in fear.

"What were you doing?" Bruce asked more calmly trying to illicit more information from the frightened scientist.

"We found some island in the Atlantic, it was magically hidden, you know, like Wonder Woman's Themyscira, and we used the portal to investigate; but when we got there, we were in this huge room and there were these horrible creatures, and then that witch attacked us, she was demanding to know why we invaded her home." She recounted shakily.

"We got the hell out of there as fast as we could, but she followed us." Another scientist piped in.

"Please Batman, we still have people inside!" The guard Batman spoke to earlier urged.

"Evacuate the facility, I'll rescue your colleagues." Batman said confidently.

"Really, against that woman, witch or whatever she is?" One scientist stuttered skeptically as Bruce headed towards that led to the lab.

"Nothing I haven't done before." Batman stated bluntly looking back as he went into the lab. Heading down a narrow corridor toward the lab he contacted Barbara once more to get last second Intel. "Oracle I'm almost in the lab what do you see?" He inquired.

_"Whatever you're gonna do, you better do it, she has them cornered; Bruce, dad has the GCPD staged right outside and the team are almost all on scene; Nightwing is still twenty minutes away."_

"Tell them to stay at a safe distance." Bruce ordered

_"But!"_ She tried to say, but with no success.

"I'll be fine Barbara." Batman replied.

_"Be careful, Bruce."_ Barbara conceded with a sigh.

Getting off the com he proceeded to the automatic doors. As the doors opened, an ominous green glow emanated from the lab. Smoke, warning lights, and alarms were blaring. He could make out voices. One was female. The others were begging somebody for their life. Going through the doors a dead guard's body that was up against wall fell to the side as Batman passed.

"Please, we didn't mean any harm, just let us go, you don't need to kill us!" A female scientist sobbed as Batman crept through the destroyed lab. He could see why Oracle initially thought it was him. The woman wore a long cloak, and a cowl. However what was most unsettling, was the fact that the scientists the woman had captive were levitating off the ground and pinned to the wall.

"Now, now, all unwelcomed guests must be punished for their invasion." The woman said in a disturbingly pleasant aristocratic voice.

"Please!" A male scientist pleaded through tears.

"Shh, the pain won't last long." The woman soothed mockingly.

"Let them go." Batman demanded sternly from behind her as he readied a batarang. The cloaked woman turned to face Bruce. Seeing her face for the first time, Bruce could see that she had an almost grey complexion with yellow cat-like eyes that gleamed maliciously. Even an experienced crime-fighter like Batman seeing those eyes was the one of the creepiest things he's ever encountered, and he's fought the Joker and Victor Zsasz countless times.

The evil looking woman smiled wickedly at Batman and chuckled. "Oh how chivalrous, are you a knight?" The woman asked with a sinister expression.

"I've been called that before." Batman replied, referencing his nickname, the 'Dark Knight'. "Who are you?" Bruce not so much asked but demanded. The woman's evil smiled faded into an angry scowl which Batman deduced was because this woman never gets talked to like that. Not that he cared. The supernatural woman's face however turned into a smarmy expression and lightly chuckled again.

"Oh dear how very rude of me my good knight, I'am Maleficent, mistress of all evil!" She declared proudly with a bow that bordered on theatrical.

Batman responded with a raised eyebrow. Great another overpowered being with dreams of evil conquest, Bruce thought cynically of the likes Braniac and Darkseid and apparently now this Maleficent who is a witch, sorceresses or whatever she was supposed to be.

"Now, if you don't mind I must punish these fools who dared invaded my home." She said dismissively as she turned her attention back to the captive scientists. Not even a second later a batarang flew past Maleficent's head and stuck into the wall which shocked her wide-eyed.

"I said, let them go." Batman stated through gritted teeth. "And go back to where it is you came from." He added firmly readying another batarang. The momentary distraction caused Maleficent to drop her two hostages allowing them time to escape the lab.

Maleficent turned to Batman with her own gritted teeth and angry expression. "You dare to challenge me fool!" She hollered at the Batman raising her arms in anger.

"I do." Batman with determination.

A small devilish smirk formed in the left corner of Maleficent's lips. "And who would you be my brave foolish knight?" She spoke in that haughty faux polite tone that was already irritating Bruce.

"Batman; but I have been called a knight before, The Dark Knight!" Batman declared emphatically.

Maleficent let out an uproarious laugh at Bruce which made him scowl. "Dark Knight it is then." Maleficent replied with a sneer as they readied for combat.  
 

* * *

 

That's it for chapter one. Please read and review. Thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Maleficent belongs to Disney and Batman and family belong to DC comics.

* * *

Bruce was the first to engage, throwing three batarangs at Maleficent which she dodged by briefly disappearing and reappearing directly in front of Bruce swinging her staff at him, emanating electrical energy. The act would have thrown most fighters off but Batman was far more experienced dealing with the likes of someone like Maleficent. In fact she was the one surprised when Batman managed to block her attack with his heavily padded gauntlets, and more so when her electrical energy seemingly had no effect. Backing away momentarily to reassess her adversary. Doing her best to maintain a straight face but Batman could tell what she was thinking.

"Insulated armor; that is one attack you won't be getting in on me." Bruce stated with confidence to the dark sorceress.

Despite being taken aback by Batman's seeming invulnerability to her electrical attack Maleficent's wicked smile returned. "Then perhaps this will impress you." She sneered as she raised her right arm at Bruce.

Without warning Bruce was lifted in the off the ground by an unseen force and thrown across the room. Seeing the Dark Knight writhe on the floor made Maleficent snicker sadistically until she heard something roll on the floor. Looking down she saw several small circular objects at her feet. Before she could even ponder what she was looking at the pellets exploded in a thick cloud of irritant gas. "Aaah!" Maleficent bellowed in response to the gas striking her senses.

Taking advantage of Maleficent's momentary distraction to don his gas mask from his belt and click on his detective vision to allow him to see through cloud of smoke, Batman charged at the witch. Just as he was about to engage her Bruce struck activated the electrical mechanism in his gauntlets, Batman struck Maleficent right in the face, abdomen and chest with his electrified fists that sent reeling backwards. With the gas dissipated, Bruce removed his gas mask as he approached the fallen sorceress. Batman was of course no fool and by no means did he think he had won the fight. In fact Bruce could hear a low growl from the prone witch.

"You dare strike me!" She bellowed furiously favoring her chin as she got to.

"You're not the first." Batman shot back, unimpressed as he broke into a defensive stance.

Standing completely upright Maleficent grinned trying to save face in the face of this mortal warrior. This battle had not gone the way she thought it was going to. This human, Batman had proven far more formidable than she imagined. A fact that made her smirk. "It is rare for me to compliment a human, but you are indeed truly full of surprises Dark Knight; but do not take my respect as weakness, because my dear knight I have plenty of surprises of my own!" She exclaimed as she raised her arms and green fire emanated from around the witch and shot at Batman. Reacting instantly Bruce threw his cape over himself to protect from the flames. The sorceress concentrated her flames on Batman hoping to incinerate him for good. After nearly a minute all she saw was a smoldering lump on the floor. "Hmm." she smirked. "A noble effort Dark Knight, but it was for naught, tonight you die knowing you have failed your kingdom, farewell." She said as she dissipated into nothingness.

Emerging from under his cape Batman immediately contacted Barbara. "Oracle." He rasped out after in his near incineration.

" _Bruce, my god are you okay?"_ She said relieved that he was relatively unscathed.

"I'll be fine Barbara, I need you to do around the clock scans for abnormal EMF readings; Maleficent isn't gone." Batman said through rasping breaths

" _Maleficent?"_ Babs asked.

"It's what she calls herself."

" _Maleficent; nice, an adjective meaning doing evil or harm."_

"I caught that too, she says she's 'the mistress of all evil'." Batman added.

" _Catchy; from what I saw this Maleficent is at the very least a level 5 magic user; okay B I'm setting my system now, it'll let me know if something comes up."_ Oracle stated.

"Good in the meantime, find out what Star Labs knows about an island she purportedly comes from." Bruce ordered.

" _On it Batman, I'm gonna consult Zatanna as well seeing as we're dealing with a magic user."_ Barbara replied.

"Fine, but Gotham is our city, we protect it." Batman stated bluntly when Oracle mentioned Zatanna.

" _I know Bruce, I know."_ Oracle replied with an exasperated sigh.

After getting off with Barbara, Bruce made one last survey of the lab. The portal that was used had been badly damaged in the short battle; and a number of scientists and security guards had been killed by Maleficent's attack. Batman took one last solemn look at the deceased and exited the lab. It took him about five minutes to completely exit the now abandoned lab. When he got outside Commissioner Gordon had the laboratory surrounded by the GCPD. Jim seeing Batman coming out approached the Dark Knight.

"You look like hell, and that's saying something; what happened in there?" Gordon asked gravely in his usual gruff voice.

"STAR LABS illegally sent a group of scientists to a magically hidden island and a sorceress named Maleficent ambushed them and followed them here."

"Please say she left Gotham?" Jim asked hopefully but Batman shook his head.

"I doubt it, she thought she killed me in the lab and said something to the effect of, you die knowing you failed your city."

"Oh great, so she's lose in the city?" Gordon asked with exasperation.

"Not sure but I have a way to track her, her magic emits a unique electromagnetic spike; we find that, we find her." Batman explained calmly.

"A magical being, are you sure we going to be okay on this?" Jim askes skeptically.

"It's nothing we haven't dealt with before Jim." Bruce replied, trying not to sound too irritated at being questioned on his ability to handle someone powerful like Maleficent.

"I know, but still.." Gordon said, his voice trailing off.

"We'll stop her Jim, I promise." Batman assured Commissioner Gordon as he looked up at an adjacent roof to see his team looking down on them. "I'll be in touch." Bruce said to Gordon as he fired his grappling hook at the roof to snap him to the roof out of sight of Commissioner Gordon.

"I hope so." Jim said with a tired sigh.

Getting on to the roof Batman met his assembled team: Tim Drake Red-Robin, Helena Bertinelli Huntress, Stephanie Brown Batgirl, Katie Kane Batwoman, Cassandra Cain Black-Bat and his son Damien Wayne Robin.

"It sounded like you had some fun." Huntress deadpanned at Batman.

"A real witch is on the loose in Gotham?" Tim Drake asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Bruce bluntly replied.

"How powerful of a witch are we talking here?" Batgirl asked with a little trepidation.

"Powerful; Oracle estimates a level 5 at least." Batman explained without hesitation.

"And you think we can take her, just street level vigilantes?" Batwoman asked incredulously upon hearing how strong their target is.

"Yes; she's not immune to physical attacks as I discovered in my fight with her, and we have a way to track her." Batman went on to explain the EMF spike Maleficent's magic emits. "Oracle is currently scanning the city for this spike; in the mean time I want everyone to take a section of the city, Huntress take the Bowery, Batgirl Bleake Island, Red-Robin you take the industrial district, Batwoman you Patrol Founders Island, and Robin you're in Chinatown, I'll contact Nightwing that he has the Diamond District.

"Where are you going?" Robin asked.

"Park Row." Batman said with a sneer at the memory of the place now known as Crime Alley where his parents were murdered as he turned away from his team. The Bat-clan looked around at each other knowingly but nonetheless went about following his orders. Tapping away at his gauntlet to bring the Batmobile to his location Batman glided off the roof to meet the vehicle and inserted himself into the cockpit and immediately headed towards the infamous alleyway. Using the Batmobiles communications, Bruce contacted Dick. "Nightwing, do you read me?"

 _"Nightwing here, go ahead Batman."_ Batman's former protégé, Dick Grayson spoke as his holographic image appeared on the Batmobiles dashboard.

"I need you in the Diamond District." Batman bluntly replied, getting right to the point.

 _"Got it, Babs already gave me the low down on Maleficent; gotta say Bruce, you sure we don't need backup?"_ Nightwing replied delicately.

"Oracle is _already_ consulting Zatanna, we don't need any more _help_!" Bruce practically growled at Dick.

 _"Bruce, when I talked to Barbara; I never heard her so spooked before, whoever or whatever this Maleficent is has got her nervous and that makes me nervous."_ Dick tried to explain.

"This isn't something we haven't done before!" Batman was now practically screaming, all patience now lost at being questioned over whether Maleficent was more than they can handle.

 _"Fine Bruce, all I ask is that you don't let your ego destroy Gotham, okay?"_ Nightwing retorted to which Bruce responded by cutting off his adopted son abruptly.

While Bruce wasn't proud of himself he knew Dick wouldn't dwell on it for long. Before long Bruce was at the neighborhood he hated most. Parking the Batmobile out of site, Batman quickly took the roofs via his grappling gun, racing across the roofs stealthily Bruce soon found himself standing above the infamous alleyway from his youth. Where his parents were murdered by an unknown assailant. Batman could never go by the spot without stopping. Gliding down to street level, Bruce knelt at the exact spot where his parents fell. Running his hands over the site he closed his eyes. There like a movie scene, was him, holding both his parents walking in the alley blissfully happy unaware that in just mere moments his life would change forever. Suddenly a shadowy figure approached demanding Martha Wayne give up her pearl necklace, Thomas Wayne attempted to intervene but was shot dead before he could do anything and in the next instant Martha Wayne was cut down by a shot, her pearl necklace shattering on the concrete where she fell. In less than fifteen seconds, both Martha and Thomas Wayne were dead, their killer long gone in the shadows of the city, and young Bruce Wayne kneeling at the bodies of his parents sobbing up into the night sky of Gotham.

The sound of the cowl's com-link sounded, breaking Bruce out of his painful nostalgia. It was Oracle. "Go ahead Barbara."

" _Bruce I got what we were looking for on that island, I got its location and repositioned a Wayne-Tech satellite; I should have more so come by the Clock Tower when you get a chance."_ Barbara said directly to the point

"Any unusual EMF readings?" Bruce asked.

" _Just a few fluctuations, their brief and random, not enough for me to say it's Maleficent."_ Barbara explained matter of fact.

"Understood, I'll be there shortly." Batman stated as he cut off the com-link. Bruce shot his grappling hook to the roof top where he quickly got back to the Batmobile where he sped off towards Oracle's headquarters in the cauldron district. In less the ten minutes thanks to the advanced speed of the Batmobile, Batman was pulling into the secret garage to discreetly hide the car. Exiting the vehicle he tapped the touch-screen pad to enter his passcode to enter the elevator to get to Barbara's computer lab. Exiting off the elevator Bruce was greeted with the site of the wheelchair bound Barbara Gordon typing away on her touch screen keyboard with the holographic screen illuminated.

Hearing the ding of the elevator, Barbara turned her head over her shoulder to greet her mentor with a smile. "You got here quickly."

"Traffic's light right now, what have you got?" Batman said getting right to the point.

"The Island Star Labs found was very well hidden magically." Oracle explained as she brought up a satellite image of said island. "You manage to map it out already?" Bruce asked seeing the projected image.

"To the best of what I could see." Barbara answered as she zoomed in on the image with her hands. "From what I can tell and this is strange but it almost looks like fourteenth century France or Germany by the architecture I'm able to make out from this, and one that's very rural and heavily wooded, just one major city with center structure that looks a castle and a big one at that, there is something else odd too." Barbara explained further as she studied the layout of the island.

"What?"

"This mountain in the southern region here." Barbara said as she used the touch-screen to zoom in one in particular. "It looks like it's a man made structure and also I want to say that's a castle too."

"Why do you say that?"

"See these four points here and at the center, those look like turrets." She explained as she highlighted what she was saying.

"How did Star Labs find it?" Batman asked.

"Star Labs reports say they just found it two days ago during a routine satellite scan, I should note Bruce that Themyscira was hidden in the Bermuda Triangle by the Greek gods for centuries, and yet Steve Trevor crash landed there in 1943, it's possible it was just dumb luck." Oracle guessed before changing the subject to more pressing matters. "Bruce, you need to talk to Zatanna, you need to hear what she has to say." Barbara said sternly as she brought the Mistress of Magic herself online; Zatanna's holographic image now fully displayed.

 _"Bruce, I know how important it is that you protect Gotham, but my sources are telling me that Maleficent isn't some run of the mill sorceress, she's a dark fairy."_ Zatanna explained.

Batman merely raised a skeptical eyebrow at the mention of 'fairy.'

 _"Trust me I know how this sounds Bruce, but dark fairy magic is some of the most dangerous magic in the Universe, I know you don't want to hear this but you are going to need help."_ Zatanna implored her old friend

"I've battled many enemies more powerful than me Zatanna, you know that." He stated bluntly.

 _"I'm not questioning your abilities, or your courage."_ Zatanna replied crossly. _"But you are dealing with a dangerous, powerful magical being who is capable of anything." her face became somewhat sullen. "Bruce, my sources tell me that Maleficent, she…"_ Zatanna's voice trailed off and took a moment to recompose herself. _"She cursed a baby to death."_ She finally said with a grimace. _"An innocent baby, for no other reason other than she wasn't invited to a dinner party or something!"_

Batman took a moment to let the information sink in. "Understood, I appreciate your concern Zatanna, but we got this." Bruce replied grimly but confidently

Zatanna sighed in defeat realizing there was no convincing him. _"Don't let it be said I didn't warn you Bruce; if you need my help, it's still on the table, good luck to you all in the meantime I'm going to find out what else I can about Maleficent and get back to you."_ And with that the sorceress's image faded from Oracle's display.

Barbara for her part groaned in frustration. "Damnit Bruce!" She wheeled around to face Batman. "What is the point of having allies if we're not going to use them, when we need them!" She scolded in fury.

Taking a moment to let Barbara recover from her outburst. "I need to you to set up a liaison between Alfred and Luscious; I'm going to need them to repair Luthor's power disruptor, we might need it to stop Maleficent."

Barbara went from angry to worried. "You told the Justice League, you wouldn't use that." She replied with concern.

"I know, but that's not my concern; Maleficent _is_ powerful and she needs to be stopped." Batman replied grimly and bluntly.

"Okay, I just don't want it to cost you too much, that's all." Barbara elaborated in reference to Bruce's past conflicts with the Justice League as she wheeled around to her terminal to connect Alfred with Luscious Fox. Suddenly a loud beeping suddenly erupted from the computer equipment.

"What is it?" Batman asked.

"A major EMF spike; it matches the spike at Star Labs, it's got to be Maleficent!" Barbara explained excitedly.

"Where is she?" Bruce demanded though politely.

"Diamond District; I'm accessing security cameras to get a precise location on her." Barbara added cycling through security images as fast as she could for any signs of Maleficent, until. "There she is; roof top of the Gotham Cathedral!" Babs exclaimed pointing to the footage for Batman. Sure enough there she was on the screen. Walking about the rooftop was the malicious fairy looking out over Gotham.

"Have Nightwing keep her under surveillance until backup arrives." Batman ordered.

"Hurry Bruce!" Barbara implored at the thought of Dick facing the sorceress on his own.

"Just have him observe but do not engage Barbara, I'll be there soon." Bruce added much more gently squeezing Bab's shoulders.

"Right." She replied recomposing herself turning her attentions back to her terminal. Batman couldn't help but notice Barbara tightly clench Dick's engagement ring that was around her neck. Barbara and Dick have recently restarted their on again-off again love affair they've had going since they were Batgirl and Robin. Frankly Bruce wished they would both stop playing this game and tie the knot for both their sakes Batman contemplated as he took his leave of the Clock Tower and quickly took to the Gotham streets in the Batmobile. As he drove to the Diamond District his vehicles communication alerted to an incoming message. It was his CEO and inventor Luscious Fox.

 _"Good evening, Mr. Wayne how may I be of assistance in this evenings witch hunt?"_ The tech genius asked.

"Luscious, did you talk to Alfred?" Bruce asked directly.

 _"Mrs. Gordon has put me in contact with Mr. Pennyworth."_ Fox answered.

"How long will it take to repair the disruptor?" Batman asked trying to hide his eagerness.

 _"I'm afraid it's going to take some time to have it ready, time I'm afraid we don't have."_ Luscious answered with disappointment. _"Luthor's design is infuriatingly complex, and I'm sorry to say there may be another problem."_

"What is it?" Bruce asked not really looking forward to the answer.

_"According to the specs that Mr. Pennyworth sent me, it has to be specifically attuned to whomever is targeted."_

_"Great!"_ Batman thought with frustration.

_"However there may be a way to get in synchronized with our invasive witch."_

"Go on." Batman replied hopefully.

_"It's going to be difficult."_

"You know me Luscious, difficult is all I do."

 _"Now that's the spirit Mr. Wayne, if you can give a sample of this Maleficent's DNA, then in theory I can attune the disruptor to work on her."_ Luscious explained with nervous laugh.

"I'll get you the sample, thanks Luscious." Batman replied gratefully.

 _"Be careful Mr. Wayne."_ Fox answered solemnly as he cut the communication. Batman raced down the street towards Gotham Cathedral as he prepared for another battle against the evil fairy sorceress.

* * *

Okay chapter two is up I hope the small fight scene was to your liking so feel free to give me feedback on ways I can improve that aspect of the story and as always read and review thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

Batman and family belong to DC and Maleficent belong to Disney.

* * *

Dick Grayson Nightwing, fired his grappling up to a gargoyle on an office building adjacent to the Royal Hotel. Making it to his observation point he contacted Oracle. "Babs I'm in position but I don't have a visual on Maleficent." He reported to the hacker

" _She's there Dick, EMF readings are off the charts."_ Barbara replied intently.

"Copy that." Dick responded as he tapped masks night vision lenses and the zoom-in feature. Scanning the rooftop looking for anything suspicious, Nightwing was growing frustrated at not being able to locate the witch or whatever she's supposed to be when suddenly he caught a billowing movement. _"There, whoa!"_ Dick thought to himself when he got his first glimpse of Maleficent. "Barb I got her."

 _"Good, maintain your position, the team's almost there."_ Oracle commanded in reply.

"Negative, I don't want to lose sight of her, I'm going in for closer look." Nightwing countered as he watched the sorceress move across the hotels roof top.

" _Damn it no; she almost killed Bruce don't you…!"_ Barbara tried to object but Dick interrupted her.

"Relax Babs, I'm a Titan, otherworldly beings are standard fare." Nightwing replied with a confident tone to his girlfriend as he grappled across the way.

" _Bruce is a Leaguer and he nearly got cooked alive by this witch; don't get cocky!"_ The computer genius shot back to her boyfriend.

"What you don't trust me to not to do something incredibly reckless and stupid do you?" He sarcastically whispered to Oracle as landed on the rooftop.

" _No comment."_ She responded with frustrated sigh.

Nightwing stealthily crept behind a large ac vent, peering around to observe Maleficent who was gazing out over Gotham.

The witch inhaled deeply as she admired the dark gothic style of the City. "What magnificently wretched place this is; perhaps when I deal with Stefan's little beasty and destroy his Kingdom once and for all, I'll rule from here." She said to herself maliciously.

 _"That's doesn't sound good!"_ Nightwing thought to himself when he heard her comment.

"Wouldn't you agree!?" The witch suddenly turned around and fired an electrical blast from her staff in Nightwing's direction.

" _Look out!"_ Oracle's voice blared in his earpiece at the same time he barely dodged the strike that obliterated the ac unit. Had it not been in superhero shape, he would have likely been killed. Despite avoiding the strike, the blast still knocked him off his feet. Quickly getting back on his feet he faced the witch for the first time.

"Hi there, I'm Nightwing." The former Robin introduced rather brightly to the somewhat scowling Maleficent.

" _Did you just seriously introduce yourself to her?!"_ Babs asked incredulously at her boyfriend.

Dick ignored her. "I understand you're new to Gotham." He added with a smirk that seemed to infuriate the dark fairy. "Look I heard you talking to yourself; that's not the healthiest habit by the way; you're looking for a new place to take over huh? Well listen I hate to disappoint you but we already have crappy rulers well except for the police commissioner, he's pretty cool"

"Do not mock me!" Maleficent said in a very menacing tone as green fire erupting from around her which somewhat intimidated the Bludhaven hero.

" _Dick, please don't needlessly piss her off."_ Barbara pleaded over comms.

"I'll get back to you in a minute okay Oracle?" Nightwing replied nonchalantly.

" _Did this imbecile say_ _Oracle?"_ Maleficent thought with an eyebrow arched curiously when she heard Dick talk in his earpiece.

"Look how about we call it even, we get you home and we forget whole thing, cool?" Nightwing offered in faux politeness.

Before he could even get his arms crossed, Maleficent raised her arms at Dick and with her dark magic threw the young hero back twenty feet with loud thud. A malicious smirk formed in the corner of her mouth.

" _Dick!"_ Oracle cried out with worry.

"Ow, yeah I got the feeling you weren't going to be receptive to that." Nightwing muttered as he struggled got to his feet as Maleficent approached him. Dick could see out of the corner of his eye she was evilly smiling at him.

Raising her staff over her head to strike the struggling Dick Grayson when three batarangs came out flying out of the darkness and struck Maleficent in the arm causing to her scream in pain. "Arghh!" Looking where the bat themed boomerangs came from with an angry growl, Maleficent got quite the shock when she saw Batman, whom she thought she had destroyed back at the lab. "You!" She growled as Bruce landed on the rooftop.

"I don't die so easily, Maleficent." Batman stated bluntly to the frustrated witch.

"Glad you didn't take too long." Dick said to his former mentor as he got back to his feet.

"Next time Oracle tells you to maintain position, do it!" Batman retorted to the younger vigilante who rolled his eyes.

" _So there is an Oracle here, interesting."_ Maleficent thought with a smirk. "It appears I was a bit presumptuous with you my dear Dark Knight." She said with a somewhat frustrated sigh. "I shall not make that mistake again with you." Maleficent added confidently.

"He's not the only one you're dealing with." A voice called out from above them that belonged to Tim Drake, the former Robin now known as Red Robin as he and the entire Bat-clan came down on the rooftop, joining Nightwing and Batman.

Looking at all the strangely attired warriors before her, Maleficent's face broke into an evil smile. "You wish to do battle again Dark Knight, with allies this time?" The Dark Fairy asked rhetorically.

"That's up to you, I'd rather we end this peacefully." Batman replied sincerely which only provoked sinister laughter from the sorceress who raised her staff as electrical energy emanated from it.

"Scatter!" Batman ordered as the entire gang broke off as Bruce threw down a smoke pellet down to camouflage their initial movements from Maleficent as the bolt struck where they were standing.

The first to attack was Cassandra Cain, the former Batgirl, and now Black Bat. Attacking the witch with a spinning roundhouse kick who disappeared in a blast of green smoke only to reappear behind her and threw Black-Bat across the roof with her magic knocking the wind out of her. Momentarily gloating over the stricken Cassandra distracted the sorceress enough to allow Red Robin and Batgirl to strike from left and right.

Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown delivered a punishing series of punches and kicks to the evil witch's mid-section with Red-Robin delivering a final blow to her face with his bo-staff, which sent Maleficent reeling to the ground. "Ok there's no way it's that easy." Red-Robin said to Batgirl. Sure enough Maleficent rose to her feet quickly and looked angrier than ever before. Raising her hands she summoned debris from around the roof top, creating a vortex of deadly shrapnel before turning on the two young heroes.

"Ya think?!" Stephanie Brown shouted in exasperation to her former beau as she tackled Tim to the rooftop as she covered them both with her cape to use as a shield as the shards struck them burying them.

Damian Wayne, seeing them in trouble rushes in to aid. Wrapping Maleficent's head in a choke hold while using his weight he managed throw the witch into a tumble throw causing the shrapnel storm on Tim and Stephanie to come to a stop. Robin meanwhile kept Maleficent pinned in head lock trying to cut off the blood supply to her head but the sorceress's head to render her unconscious. But unfortunately the evil fairy was already responding. Robin looked down at her and could see that her eyes were glowing bright green and her body was feeling hot, like fire. "Oh cra..!" Damian couldn't finish his exclamation as green flames burst from Maleficent. Robin rolled off her as fast as he could but not before catching some of his clothing on fire. Fortunately his armor protected him. Patting out the rest of flames Damian suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground and flung to the other side of the roof where he impacted the wall a loud grunt. And if being thrown around magically wasn't scary enough, to his shock the cement wall seemingly stretched out and wrapped around, pinning him to the wall.

Huntress and Batwoman were both hidden behind a ventilation exhaust. Helena loaded a bolt into her crossbow and gave Kate a knowing look. Batwoman looked back and acknowledged Huntress with a nod as Helena took aim at Maleficent who was approaching a struggling Damian with a malicious smirk. Pulling the trigger Helena loosed a bolt that zipped through the air and winged the witch's shoulder.

"Aiieee!" Maleficent bellowed as she dropped her magic staff. Gripping her shoulder with an angry grimace as her shoulder magically healed, the witch looked up just in time to see Batwoman coming at her in a swinging back kick that connected brutally to her face sending her to the ground where she was momentarily stunned When Bruce fire his bat-claw to relieve the witch of her staff after which she was seemingly put down for the count by a beat down courtesy of Nightwing with his specialized batons.

Katy immediately shoved her boot into Maleficent's chest with Huntress putting a bolt to her head.

"Give up!" Helena commanded. Initially impressed by the arrow point at her head but seeing her staff just feet from her.

"Never!" Maleficent wickedly sneered as magically summoned her staff just as Batman and Nightwing approached them.

"Look out!" Bruce cried when he saw the staff emit another electrical attack that blew back all four and left them all knocked out of the fight. Their lives saved only by their insulated body armor.

" _This isn't going good at, I'm sending backup now!"_ Oracle stated in Batman's earpiece.

"Oracle…!" Batman fired back through gasping breaths attempting to order her to call off the help as he fought to get back to his feet.

" _No Bruce, I will not sit here and watch you all get killed, they'll be there in seconds!"_ Barbara retorted, effectively cutting off Bruce who struggled to get back up as he watched helplessly as his family were each down as Maleficent approached Damian who was still wrapped in cement.

Grabbing Robin roughly by the chin, Maleficent raised her staff to his face where it began to glow bright green. To Bruce's horror, Damian's eyes began glowing green. Reaching for his batclaw in his utility belt in a desperate bid to disarm the sorceress, but he was still shell shocked from the electrical attack couldn't get a good enough aim on her staff. Bruce feared he was about to watch his own son die right in front of him when helped arrived from the most unexpected source.

"Hiya B-man; why ya beating up on your little buddy?!" The high pitched squealing voice of none other than the Joker's ex-girlfriend Harley Quinn. Maleficent turned to the voice and cracked an evil smile upon seeing clown faced painted girl happily sitting on the roof ledge.

" _Fools indeed."_ Maleficent thought with a wicked snicker.

"Oh wait you're not B-man, jeez I guess it's true what oracuddles said, you really is a witch!" Harley went on with a silly mad grin on her face as she giddily stood up and approached Maleficent. "Hey sorry about before but you really look like Bats; if he were slimmer, with a really weird gray, purplish complexion, and a woman." Quinn continued on as her goofy smile faded when she took in more of Maleficent's features. "And, and, are your eyes yellow?" Harley asked with her smile now completely gone, replaced with a scared expression. "That's actually really cool in a freaky kind of way."

The look on the dark fairy's face however was one of humor. The strange clown girl was actually quite amusing to Maleficent. "A harlequin?" The Sorceress asked sarcastically with a sinister giggle as she approached Harley.

"Actually it's Harley Quinn; a play on harlequin!" Harley retorted explaining her name. "Now about you get away from emo bird boy there." She politely demanded as she backed away further from the senseless bat crusaders which Maleficent continue to follow.

"My dear, I just defeated these pitiful fools, why should I take any threat from _you_ seriously?" Maleficent asked mockingly as she was beginning to grow tired of this evening's battle.

"Me?" Harley asked with fake innocence. "Oh no, I was just distracting you until my new Mr. _Jay_ was in position to blast ya with a grenade launcher!" She added with her own devious smile. "Light her up Mr. Jay!" Harley Quinn said as she tapped her earpiece.

"What?!" Maleficent saw to her bewilderment a red dot on her chest.

"You got it babe!" A voice called from an elevated position. Up into the rafters Jason Todd the former Robin now the violent vigilante known as Red-Hood crouched on gargoyle aiming an assault rifle with grenade launcher attached to the muzzle at the wicked witch. Maleficent had no time to react when Jason fired the grenade into the her chest.

"BLAMM" The explosion sent the witch back twenty feet across the room and slammed her against the wall with a vicious thud. Batman and most of the Bat-Clan were finally getting on their feet and whatever senses they had approached the stricken sorceress. To their shock she still was managing to get up but not without difficulty as blood trickled down on the concrete floor. Her robes were smoldering from the blast. The family all prepared for more. But instead Maleficent looked at all the members and snickered maliciously as a dark, green aura and disappearing into thin air before anyone could react.

"Well that couldn't have gone any worse." Batwoman deadpanned still hurting from the electrical attack as Batman scanned Maleficents blood that accumulated with the cowls scanner and went about contacting his CEO. "Luscious I've scanned Maleficents DNA, you should be seeing it now."

" _I have it Mr. Wayne, once I've analyzed it, I'll send it to Mr. Pennyworth."_

"Good."

"You all okay?" Red Hood asked sincerely to everyone, Batman in particular. Bruce ignored his prodigal son when they all heard cement crumbling and seeing Damian on the ground trying to get senses back. While personality clashes and drama was standard operating procedure in the Bat-family, Jason and Bruce were practically in a blood feud. Ever since he was killed years earlier by the Joker and subsequently revived by Ra's al Ghul, Jason spent years plotting his revenge on the Joker. When he quietly returned to Gotham he hooked up with Harley who was eager in her fractured logic to get back at her 'ex puddin' for turning her into a 'freak'. It all came to a head on Arkham Island when Jason and Harley with a large heavily armed army they recruited from various criminal gangs from Gotham's underworld, invaded and occupied the Asylum. Batman and company fought all night to regain control of the Asylum. When Bruce uncovered that it was Jason leading the assault on Arkham, he attempted to reason with him, but the traumatic events of his death, Barbara's injury and all of the other Jokers crimes proved too much. Red-Hood ended up killing the Joker before Bruce could do anything to stop him. "You're welcome." He sneered at his former mentor who shoved passed him without acknowledging him to check on Robin. Harley huffed in offense at Batman. Feeling a tap on his shoulder he turned to see Huntress with a grateful expression.

"Thanks for the save Jay." Helena couldn't see it but Jason smiled under his mask in appreciation.

"Robin, Robin; Damian are you all right?" Batman asked his biological son who was finally coming to.

"She was in my head Father." Damian replied shakily.

"What was she doing?" Bruce asked with genuine concern.

"She was looking through my memories, it was like watching a movie, she was looking for…." Damian explained when his face contorted into a horrified realization. "Oracle!" He exclaimed. "She was looking for Oracle!"

The statement stopped everyone cold especially Dick. Bruce immediately called the Clock-Tower through his cowls comms. "Oracle come in now!" Nothing for an unsettling long period of time until.

" _Batman, everyone listen carefully, she's already here."_ Barbara stated calmly as she could to everyone's distress.

" _Well, well, well, I begin this adventure battling bats and rabble and lo I catch an Oracle!"_ The sinister voice of Maleficent could be heard in everyone's earpieces.

"No." Nightwing muttered with fear to Batman.

* * *

This was honestly the toughest chapter to write, mostly because of the fight scene. I really don't know a whole lot about Maleficent's powers and weakness and just basing my knowledge off what I've seen from her appearance's in media. Anyway thanks for reading and please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Batman belongs to DC and Maleficent belongs to Disney

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Barbara had faced many enemies throughout her heroic career both as Batgirl and Oracle. Even after losing her legs and fighting from behind a computer she still faced many from her chair and came out victorious from Spy Smasher, Blockbusters gang, even the Joker again. But now was different, now an all-powerful sorceress was standing before her and worse, whatever damage had been done by Jason was magically repaired already.

"Maleficent I presume." Barbara said as calmly and as politely as she could, as if trying to calm a wild animal. Discretely she kept her hands close to the secret compartments that held her escrima sticks.

"You presume correctly my dear; I see that my reputation precedes me." Maleficent said with a bow that reminded Barbara of the late Joker's twisted sense of showmanship.

"Not really, I've been watching you this whole time." Barbara replied with a straight face, keeping one eye on Maleficent and the other on her monitors tracking the Bat-clans movements to her location. They were still several minutes away. She was going to have to keep the witch distracted she knew as she kept her hands close to her sticks.

"So it would appear." Maleficent said as she looked at the monitors with great fascination. "You truly are an Oracle."

"What do you want?" Barbara asked bluntly, hoping to distract the malevolent fairy until help arrived.

"Hmm, perhaps you can be of some use to me?" The witch said in contemplation, scratching her chin as she returned her attentions to Barbara.

"That depends on what  you want." Barbara replied honestly with some hopefulness that the use would be that Maleficent wants help going home.

"Of course my dear Oracle of course, you see I've been searching far and wide for a certain maiden for sixteen years." Maleficent added with that faux politeness that was grating on Barbara's nerves the same it did with Bruce.

"Why, what do you want with her?" Babs asked eyes narrowing at the witch.

"She is the Princess Aurora, daughter of my hated rivals King Stephan and Queen Leah; I bestowed upon her a curse of death; well sleeping death now thanks to the interference of those blasted good fairies, one that will run out on her after the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday." Maleficent explained with hateful anger. Noting that Barbara was sitting in a wheelchair made the evil sorceress smirk. Something that was not lost on Babs. "Find me the princess so I can have my vengeance and in return I will grant your hearts greatest desire my dear." Maleficent bargained as she ran her hand over the green orb. "Behold." The dark fairy commanded as she lowered it so Barbara could see what the orb was showing. The orb projected images of Barbara dancing, running and playing as if she had never been in the chair. "What say you Oracle?" Maleficent not so much asked but demanded of Barbara.

It made Barb physically sick. This powerful sorceress from a magical island had just offered to give Oracle back her mobility as if she was a noble fairy godmother giving a fairytale princess her dream come true; as long as Babs helped track down and murder an innocent girl whose family had offended Maleficent somehow. Barbara looked up at the witch with utter contempt. "No!" she didn't as much as say as she spat with as much venom as she could muster towards the witch who responded with an angry sneer towards the wheelchair bound woman. "As a matter of fact." The hacker said as she closed her eyes tightly. "Tynsdale, Concesco, Wintergreen." She shouted. Instantaneously a bright light blasted through the Clock-Tower effectively blinding the sorceress.

"Arghh!" She bellowed trying to regain her sight. It was the opening Barbara needed to knock the witch off her feet with her escrima sticks as the light faded. Before Maleficent could refocus she found herself wrapped in a tight nylon rope that shot from the walls to her shock forcing her to drop her staff once again.

"Sorry, _my dear_ , but I don't play 'tempt the poor crippled girl'." Oracle said, mocking Maleficents often aristocratic tone. "Especially with a soulless, heartless monster who is looking to kill an innocent child because of some _imagined_ slights to their ego!"

"Imagined!" Maleficent angrily replied with a sincerely incredulous tone which caught Barbara slightly by surprise. There something unguarded in which the way Maleficent responded to what Barbara had said that got her attention. "You know nothing of what Stefan's family did to me, what they took from me, that family did something horrible, unjustly to me and everyone believes they are so righteous, so noble and I the monster; there is nothing _Imagined_ about it!" Maleficent added now seething with rage. Tears had actually formed in her eyes to which she bowed her head upon realizing it in an effort to hide her emotional vulnerability from Oracle in embarrassment. The shockingly pathetic display gave Babs momentary pause.

"So you curse a baby to death to get even?" Barbara asked not trying to sound to empathetic.

"Certainly a fair trade for of my wings would you say?" Maleficent snorted cynically.

"Wings?" Babs asked sincerely curious. Zatanna said Maleficent was a dark _fairy_. Fairies have wings Barbara recalled thanks to her trusty eidetic memory after studying magical beings, wings that Maleficent noticeably lacked. Could Maleficent possibly be telling the truth? She wouldn't be the first being in the universe to go evil from a bad experience. Watching the display of anger and despair, Barbara hated to admit it. But she actually felt sorry for the bound witch before her; she knew how it felt to feel bitter and angry, having lost her mobility at the hands of the Joker. "I appreciate how it feels Maleficent." Barb said in a suddenly solemn, sad tone that forces the attention of the sorceress.

The mistress of all evil arched her eyebrow skeptically at Oracle but also listened none the less.

"Loosing the feeling." Babs elaborated as she fully gained Maleficent's attention. "The freedom, the wind in your face, the ground below shooting past, as your.., as your soaring through the air; I had it all taken from me too." Barbara went on although she choked on her word's momentarily as she thought back to those nights of her Batgirl days. A small tear fell down her cheek that she wiped away. "I lost it all Maleficent, because of an evil, psychotic piece of crap who shot me because _he_ had a bad day once, and decided to make the whole world pay." Barb spat furiously and had to stop to keep herself composed as the anger ate away her insides. "He used me as nothing more than a prop, to torture my family and friends mentally, is that your plan for Aurora, to use her just to hurt the people who hurt you?" She asked pointedly.

Maleficent eyes faded to the floor after listening intently. Barbara, eyeing the witch carefully could almost see a look on her face that almost appeared, dare she say regretful?

"What would you have me do Oracle, let that besmirching pass without retribution?" Maleficent replied with a bitter snort.

"No, absolutely not!" Babs snapped in reply. "I didn't reside myself to defeat either, but I also did not let my darkest impulses take over, I didn't go after the bastards relatives or even his girlfriend at the time!" She added referencing the Joker and Harley Quinn who reformed and now worked for Barbara and the Batclan. "Call off the curse on the Princess Maleficent, she doesn't deserve to be punished because of what her family did to you". A stalemate ensued between the hacker and sorcerer before Babs made one more appeal to whatever good could possibly be in the witch. "I know how you feel Maleficent, I really do understand how unfair and cruel the world can be sometimes, but I made a choice not to be a victim, to not become the very evil I swore to fight just because I suffered." Barbara didn't so much as plead but negotiated. "Let me and my friends help you Maleficent, we can get you back to your home and I know people who will get you justice."

"Justice." The witch said to thin air in a whisper as if dreaming of it. Maleficent actually kindly smiled a little, even though Barbara was still apprehensive."I thank you for the empathy you showed me Oracle, sincerely, it's been a long time since I've heard such kind words and understanding from another." The sorceress added just as she managed to wiggle a hand free that Oracle didn't notice. Suddenly Maleficent's smile turned sinister. "But I'm afraid I've made my chose a long time ago." Without warning the witch's staff shot to her hand and she evaporated in a green mist leaving behind her restraints.

Barbara immediately pulled out her escrima sticks, prepared to do battle, but unfortunately out of nowhere an unseen force pulled Babs from her chair, sending her sticks flying and her to the wall and like with Damian the concrete wrapped around her arms and waist, pinning her to it. Maleficent appeared in front of her with a vicious smirk.

"And you, made yours." She wickedly stated to the restrained Oracle as strolled up to the restrained Bab's at eye level. "It is a shame, you're far more intelligent than your master." Maleficent with a tone that seemed to genuinely hint at regret.

"He is _not_ my master!" Oracle snapped back at Maleficent with an angry glare. Maleficent responded with an evil chuckle.

"As you say Oracle." The dark fairy replied when she was done with her laughter. That's when Maleficent noticed the ring hanging around Barbara's neck. Taking the ring into her hand, the sorceress examined it with great interest. "This, this is a ring of a betrothed." Maleficent said looking up at the entrapped Oracle who continued to glare at the evil sorceress, refusing to be intimidated. "Do they love you?" Barbara kept her eyes on Maleficents questioning wicked stare intentionally ignoring her inquiry. "Do _you_ love them?" The witch asked, not really expecting an answer but more of wanting to see her reaction. Babs face remained defiant when looking into the eyes of Maleficent.

"None of your damned business." Barbara retorted with gritted teeth.

Maleficent giggled maliciously in response. "Well my dear, in that case, you best hope it is true love, for your sake." She said cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Barbara asked apprehensively.

Maleficent ignored her as she turned her back to Barbara and flicked her wrist, in a burst of green energy a black spinning wheel appeared. The sorceress pulled off the spindle and turned back to Barbara. "I was saving this particular gift for Aurora only, but I realize I could bestow it upon you as well." Maleficent explained with devilishly sweet tone as she grabbed Barbara's wrist that caused the concrete to dissolve.

Bab's eyes went wide at realization at what Maleficent intimated and fought fiercely to wrestle her hand away from the witches but the supernatural strength of the dark fairy was far too much as the spindle pierced Barbara's finger. It was the last conscious sight Oracle had.

* * *

So I decided "What the heck" I'll use the backstory from _Maleficent_ so Oracle and Maleficent could have this dialogue over mutual loss. It was honestly the only part of the movie I actually liked, along with Angelina's Jolie's wonderfully hammy performance. I'm not going to lie I'm firmly in the camp that hated the redemption angle, I would rather Maleficent stayed a villain albeit a tragic one. To me it would have had the potential to become _The Killing Joke_ of Disney movies and no I'm not a fan of Barbara's treatment in that book. Whether you're a Social Justice Warrior (not hating) who hated the amount of violence dished to poor Babs or not you cannot deny as a villain's centered story it's a masterpiece. That being said I hope your liking what your reading and will continue doing so. As always thank you and please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Batman and related Disney characters belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.

* * *

Bruce led the Bat-Clan in a frantic race to Clock-Tower to rescue Oracle with the Batmobiles afterburners kicking in. Tapping on his console he contacted Commissioner Gordon. "Jim, Maleficent got into the Clock-Tower, she… she's got Barbara." Bruce explained trying but struggling to maintain his composure.

_"What, no!"_

"Jim we're headed there now." Batman said trying to keep his longtime partner and friend calm.

 _"So am I!"_ Gordon retorted with determination as he cut the connection with Batman.

Bruce kicked in the afterburners on the Batmobile again. Batman was certain that they were close enough to beat Gordon to the Clock-Tower, but he did not want to chance it. It was an agonizingly long ten minutes from the time Barbara made her emergency call to the time the Bat-Clan arrived. Batman and company knew better then get up through the elevator, giving away the element of surprise. All pulled out their grappling guns and fired for the Clock-Towers roof. Landing on the rooftop the clan quickly crept to the secret opening where Bruce tapped in the code to enter Oracle's lair. With the hatch opened one by one they dropped down into the tower's main living space. They still had to quietly make their way to Barbara's computer room. Turning on their respective detective visions with their masks they stealthily made their down the hall to towards the monitor room. Through their detective vision they could make out Oracle in her chair facing the door. Something was wrong, her vitals weren't showing up on the display. Regardless Batman readied a batarang as well the others. Red Hood and Harley cocked their handguns much to the displeasure of the rest of the team with the exception of The Huntress. Batman looked at the rest of the clan and gave a knowing nod as they burst into the room. To their initial relief Barbara seemed unharmed.

"Babs, are you okay; where's Maleficent?" Nightwing asked tepidly. To the worry of everyone in the room, Barbara didn't reply, just seemingly stared off into space with a small smile.

"Barbara, what is wrong with you, why aren't you answering us?" Cassandra pleaded with her mentor. Again with the same result to the increasing worry of her loved ones.

"Babs, Barbara!" They all cried out at once when suddenly Maleficent sprang her trap. Oracle burst in a burst of black smoke, enveloped the Bat-Clan. When the smoke cleared all members of the clan were bound at the arms and feet with dark purple magical energy and worse, Maleficent was standing over them with a triumphant smile.

"You simple fools, thinking you can defeat me, me, the mistress of all evil!" She declared over there struggling.

"Where is she?" Dick not so much as asked but growled.

The witch ignored him and lowered herself to meet the gaze of Batman and giggled in her sinister way.

"If you've hurt her, I'll….." Bruce tried to threaten but was cut off by the sorceress who him by grabbed by the throat.

"Yes Dark Knight, threaten me, you've done so well against me so far obviously." Maleficent sneered in Batman's face as she mocked him.

"Where is she?!" Nightwing bellowed angrily again at the dark fairy who merely turned her eyes to him, curiously wondering if this boy was Oracle's great love as she released Bruce's windpipe who hacked as he tried to regain his breath.

Standing back she eyed all the members of the Bat-clan individually with an evil grin. "Very well." She said and pulled on her black cloak. "Here's your precious Oracle!" She declared maliciously declared she revealed an unconscious Barbara.

"No!" Bruce hollered in anguish at the sight of Oracle lying unresponsive as the cackling witch dissipated out of sight from the group. With Maleficent gone, the magic holding them in place evaporated, setting them free.

"Barbara!" Dick cried as he was the first to reach her. Nightwing rolled Babs over and cradled her head in his lap.

"Is she..?" Batgirl asked with dread with her fellow bat teammates looking on with the same sentiment.

"Please say she isn't..." Black Bat added in near sobs at the sight of an unresponsive Barbara.

"No she's alive." Dick responded with some relief as he tried to wake her. "Bab's, can you hear me?" No response. "Barb, c'mon baby wake up, open your eyes!" Nightwing desperately pleaded his sleeping girlfriend, shaking her gently hoping to coax a response.

"She's under a spell, that's why she isn't waking up." Batman calmly as he could explained, as he pulled Oracle into his arms, which Dick allowed. He trusted his adopted father. Bruce gently carried Barbara to her bedroom, flanked by his very concerned family. Laying Babs on her bed, Batman tapped his cowls comms. "Batman to Zatanna, come in!"

 _"Zee here, what is it Bruce?"_ The sorceress replied sensing something was wrong. Bruce never called as Batman unless it was an absolute emergency.

"Maleficent got into the Clock Tower, she put Oracle under some sort a sleep spell; we can't wake her up."

 _"I'll be there in a sec."_ Zatanna said literally as she instantly appeared in an explosion of light. "Let me see the patient." Zee ordered as she pushed past the worried batclan members to get to Barbara's bedside. "Okay Barbara let's take a look at you honey." Zatanna said as she began to examine Barb. "Arabrab enikawa." She spoke backwards in attempt to wake Barbara up with her magic. There was no response so Zatanna in a desperate bid tried once more. "Elcaro pu ekaw." Again nothing. "Damnit, I was afraid of this!"

"What is it?" Bruce asked hurriedly.

"I told you, Maleficent is a dark fairy and her magic is amongst the most powerful in the universe, my magic is strong but it can't penetrate this, I'm sorry." She explained with a somber tone.

"Is there anything we can do?!" Harley cried with worry with Jason putting an arm around her, not only to comfort her but himself too. Despite being on opposite sides of the law Harley and Barbara had always had a somewhat friendly rivalry that dates back to Bab's Batgirl days. In fact after Joker shot Barbara and Batgirl disappeared, Harley put and two and two together and left the Joker for a time. When Jason returned from the dead and hooked up with Harley and assassinated the Joker, Oracle to the shock of everyone secretly began using them as field agents soon thereafter. The way Barbara said it all three of them have suffered from the Joker so why shouldn't they have a chance at redemption? Harley and Jason understandably appreciated the gesture.

"Maybe." Zatanna flatly replied.

Just then the elevator dinged. Bruce knew it was Commissioner Gordon and ran out to the living room to meet him. He wanted to tell Jim himself. Reaching the elevator as the Commissioner exited with his gun drawn. Batman promptly disarmed him. "Jim it's me!" Bruce said hastily to his longtime friend.

"Bruce!" Gordon exclaimed when he realized it was the Dark Knight. Gordon had known since the first year Batman appeared in Gotham. He was a detective and the coincidences with Bruce Wayne and Batman were too many to ignore. "Tell me you got here in time, is she safe?" He asked desperately. Bruce's face tightened which Jim knew was a bad sign. "No!" He rasped through a half-sob imagining the worst.

"She's alive Jim, Maleficent has her under a sleep spell, but she is alive." Batman explained in an attempt to reassure his friend as he helped him to his feet and guided him to the bedroom. The clan's solemn gazes greeted him as they each made a hole. There he got his first look at his beloved daughter in an enchanted sleep.

"No, oh sweetie no!" He sobbed as he collapsed at Barbara's bed.

"Commissioner, I'm… I'm sorry." It was Damian struggling to speak. Jim looked up with teary eyes. "She got into my head, I couldn't fight her; I wasn't strong enough." Damian said remorsefully.

"It's okay son, it wasn't your fault." Jim replied with a small smile sincerely, but it didn't make Robin feel any less responsible.

"I swear to you Commissioner, we'll find a way to wake her up, I promise." Dick said with determination.

"I know you will Dick, I know." Gordon said reassuringly to his daughter's boyfriend as he ran his hand through Barbara's red hair and held her hand. "Zatanna, is there a way to wake her up." He asked hopefully to the JLA sorceress.

"I believe so Commissioner, but unfortunately Maleficent most likely is the only one who knows for sure." Zatanna explained sympathetically with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "A sleep spell does have a remedy, but there's something off about this one; when I examined her it seemed like the magic was mixed with light magic as well, I've never encountered anything like it."

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"A dark spell this powerful usually is lethal, but it was weakened by light magic." She elaborated to everyone.

"And how are we supposed to get the remedy out of Maleficent I don't think playing good cop, bad cop in an interrogation room at GCPD is going to do it." Red Robin frustratingly chimed in with Batgirl nodding in agreement.

"I say we find her and force it out of her!" Jason angrily replied as he pulled out and cocked his 9mm handgun. "A couple of bullets in her kneecaps and elbows should do the trick!"

"That hasn't exactly worked for us." Batwoman added.

"It's better than just standing here staring at her!" Huntress replied to Katy with anger at the situation.

Before anyone can answer her, the very ground seemed to shake from nowhere.

"An earthquake?!" Cassandra cried fearfully, recalling the massive quake that turned Gotham into a no man's land years ago.

"No." Bruce said knowingly looking at Oracle's monitors. All moving to Barbara's terminal. According to the computer there was a large EMF spike at the Biltmore high-rise hotel. Bruce tapped away quickly on the console to bring up any security camera. And sure enough Maleficent was spotted on the roof of the hotel.

000000

Gazing out over Gotham, Maleficent smiled with satisfaction at herself at seemingly defeating the pious Dark Knight and it was time to inflict even more pain on him. Sure it was thrilling watching him cry out over his fallen beloved Oracle but she wasn't satisfied just yet. Lifting her staff above her head, the green globe began to emit its electrical magic that seemingly caused swirling dark clouds to form around her.

"A forest of thorns shall be his city's tomb! Borne through the skies on a fog of doom! Now go with the curse, and serve me well! 'Round this Gotham City, CAST MY SPELL!"

With that, Maleficent sent the magical cloud all around Gotham and dropped lightning bolts. If that wasn't frightening enough, from where the bolts of lightning impacted, death black stalks of thorns rose from up through the streets reaching as high as the skyline which caused the citizens of Gotham to flee the streets in terror who dared to come out to see the commotion.

Maleficent smiled sadistically at the scene. "You were a delightful challenger Dark Knight, but you were never a match for the forces of evil, fare thee well." She stated to herself as she once again evaporated into thin air, leaving Gotham and returning to her home world.

00000

The Bat-clan, knowing they were seeing what they were seeing, but still not believing it went out to the Clock-Tower's balcony to see it for themselves. Even after dealing with the likes of Poison Ivy, none of them had ever seen anything like this. Not even close. The giant thorn bushes rose as high the skyscrapers and had completely surrounded Gotham and that wasn't all. One of GCPD drone airships ventured too close to the vines and was pulled down and shredded to pieces by the thorns. Seeing this Gordon immediately got on his radio.

"This is Gordon, get all helicopters on the ground; contact the FAA and divert all incoming air traffic away from Gotham now!" He ordered frantically.

 _"Copy that, commissioner!"_ The dispatcher replied.

Batman ran back to the monitor room to see if Maleficent was still on the hotel. She wasn't, in fact there wasn't any EMF spikes registering with the exception of the forest of thorns that now encircled the entirety of Gotham. Pounding the console in a rare display of frustration. "Zatanna, can you track Maleficent's magic?" He hurriedly asked his magical friend. "I need to know if she's still in Gotham." He added.

"I…I think so?" The Justice Leagues sorceress replied, hoping she could. Setting herself into an Indian sitting position as if she was meditating as an aura emanated from her. After a few minutes Zatanna spoke. "Maleficent's gone, she is not in Gotham anywhere."

"I know where she is." Bruce said with steely confidence as he brought up the map of the mysterious magical island before turning to Zee. "Zatanna I need you to transport me to the Watchtower."

"For what?" Robin demanded of his father.

"I need to use the Watchtowers teleporter, I'm going after her." He declared with finality with his team.

"Then we're all going!" Batgirl retorted to Bruce.

"No." He responded flatly.

"What the hell do you mean no!?" Nightwing screamed with incredulity grabbing Bruce by his shoulders.

"He's right, there's going to be a lot of scared people out there." Gordon said looking down at his sleeping daughter. Turning back to the bat-team. "We have to get out there." He declared sadly but firmly. Dick relented and let go of Bruce when he realized what Gotham's rogues would be doing in their current predicament.

"Hold on, shouldn't someone stay with Barbara, I mean we can't leave her alone like this can we?" Huntress asked the group with trepidation. After a moment of silence, one unexpected volunteer spoke up.

"I, I will." Harley said with some surprising meekness. Everyone turned to her with shocked gazes at the seemingly genuine tone of her voice. Harley actually sniffed back a few tears. "I owe her one, she was always the nicest to me and she, always tried to help me and all I ever did was cause trouble; even after what Joker did to her she's was still cool to me." She added with a tear rolling down her face at the memory of being an unwitting accomplice to Joker's brutality. "She never blamed me for it, not once; please let me do this, I promise I'll protect her with my life." She pleaded.

Everyone gave a questioning glance at Commissioner Gordon and Batman who were looking at each other.

"All right Quinn." Gordon sighed with great reluctance and pause.

"Thank you Commish, I won't let you down I promise!" Harley said bouncing up and down with more delight than what was appropriate considering the situation;

Batman approached Harley and gave her his best Bat-glare. "Don't let us down." Bruce said with all the seriousness he could muster to get his point across to the clown girl who shook his hand in return with much more soberness. "We're counting on you Harley." He added as he turned away from Quinn who nodded in further affirmation.

Batman approached Zatanna to leave for the Watchtower but before he left he turned to Nightwing and put a hand on his shoulder. "If anything happens to me, it's up to you to save Barbara and Gotham." He somberly told his adopted son.

Dick replied with apprehensive nod to Bruce.

"Let's go." Batman said to Zatanna.

"Rewothctaw oot." Zee commanded and immediately both she and Batman disappeared in a flash of light that transported them to the Justice Leagues space headquarters while the remaining members of the bat-clan who with heavy hearts looked back at Barbara sleeping in her bed. Dick stepped towards her bed and ran his hand over her face while holding her hand with his other.

"We'll find a way to wake you Babs, I promise." He said to her as he felt a comforting pat on his back. It was Red Hood.

"Don't worry, Harley won't let anything happen to her." Jason said with all sincerity motioning to the former clown princess. Dick turned to look at Commissioner Gordon reluctantly agreeing. Sighing heavily he knew it was time to leave. Gotham needed them, all of them.

"We all love you Barbara." Stephanie Brown added with a tear rolling down her face.

"All right let's go guys." Nightwing ordered looking back as Harley fluffed a pillow under Babs head. And with that, everyone exited the Clock-Tower leaving Barbara in the care of Harley Quinn who sweetly hummed as she gently placed Babs under her covers and her hands over her heart.

* * *

So this concludes chapter 5. Yeah I know it seems a little wrong and cliché to have Barbara become the Sleeping Beauty of the story but I elected to let Dick have his prince charming moment since in my last story I sort of dumped on his character and plus I really like Nightwing so that's why.


	6. Chapter 6

Batman and all related characters belong to DC and Maleficent belongs to Disney

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Bruce was in his private quarters on the orbiting space base of the Justice League, the Watchtower. He had just put on a fresh Bat-Armor when the cowls communicator went off. The HUD in his lenses indicated it was his butler Alfred Pennyworth. "Alfred, what's the status on the disruptor?" Bruce asked his faithful servant straight to point.

" _It is frustratingly slow in coming sir, even with Mr. Fox's assistance."_ The butler answered truthfully.

"Thanks Alfred, keep it up, I'm going to need it." Bruce replied with slight frustration.

" _Will do Master Bruce; Sir what of Mrs. Gordon, is there any hope of waking her?"_ Alfred asked with sadness.

"Zatanna thinks there is a way to break the spell but I have to get it out of Maleficent." Batman answered grimly.

_"And would I be correct sir in assuming that you are going after her by yourself?"_ The butler asked pointedly.

"Yes." Batman answered bluntly. There was an audible sigh over the com-link.

" _You mean to tell me you are going alone to face a clearly all powerful magical sorceress, despite having allies who are more than capable of assisting you!"_ Batman's faithful but hardly sycophantic servant snapped.

"Superman is weak against magical beings and Zatanna's magic isn't strong enough to defeat Maleficent." Before Alfred could refute Batman, Bruce had more to say. "What happened is on me, no one else is going to get hurt because of it." Bruce replied with determination.

" _Sir I doubt Miss Gordon and the rest of Gotham would want you to go on a suicide mission on their behalf."_ Alfred tried but knowing it would be fruitless to talk his master out of it.

"I know that, but it has to be this way." Batman stubbornly answered.

" _Very well sir, just please come home alive Master Bruce is all I ask."_ The butler reluctantly requested.

"I'll be fine Alfred, let me know when the disruptor is ready."

" _I will, and good hunting sir."_ Alfred replied before cutting the link.

* * *

After the conversation with Alfred Bruce left his room and was walking down the hallway of the Watchtower. However as he made his way into the main control room of the Watchtower he was confronted by a group of his superhero colleagues: Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Cyborg, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, Green Arrow giving him stern looks all round in particular Dinah Lance, Oracle's best friend who was making a heated beeline for the Dark Knight with angry tears in her eyes; of course Zatanna had informed them of what had happened.

"Why didn't you call us, you stupid, stubborn, arrogant man?!" She hollered though not through her sonic powers as she tried to slap Bruce but was stopped by her fiancé Green Arrow. Batman of course just remained stoic. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was protecting Gotham." He grimly replied to Dinah.

"Well, you spectacularly failed." Black Canary sneered, just to rub it in before anyone could say anything else.

"Let's all just calm down." Superman interjected firmly. "This sorceress resides on an hidden island somewhere in the Atlantic, Bruce?" Clark asked Batman.

"Yes." Batman answered flatly.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go?" Flash enthusiastically exclaimed ready to help save his best friends, Nightwings girlfriend.

"I got it's position in on the teleporter now!" Cyborg chimed equally eager.

"And then Hera will have no mercy on this Maleficent when we find her!" Wonder Woman angrily chimed in.

"No, I have to do this alone." Batman coldly replied.

"I literally have never been less surprised than now." Green Lantern sarcastically snorted after a moment of silence.

"Who the hell do you think you are; you're not Barbara's only friend here!" Black Canary spat angrily.

"She's my fiancés best friend!" Oliver Queen shot in.

"My best friend's girlfriend!" Flash added.

That's when Princess Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman came into Bruce's view with a sneering expression. "How dare you Bruce; you have no idea what Zatanna and I did for her, we had to!.." She angrily started before Batman with surprising gentleness cupped her face with his hand. Bruce and Diana have had feelings for each other for years but Batman had refused to act on them for fear of hurting her.

"I know what both of you did Diana, Barbara wouldn't be who she is today if it wasn't for the both of you; she _knows_ it and appreciates it." Bruce said suddenly looking down sullen. " _I_ appreciate it." Diana put her head when tears threaten to break through

Zatanna did likewise except _a_ small tear did drop from her eye when she remembered the night all three of them went out dancing the week before Barbara was shot. Zatanna had a premonition of the shooting but could not act on it because of the danger of disrupting fate. It obviously haunts her to this day

"Batman, the point is you are not the only one who cares for Barbara Gordon, her assistance as Oracle has been invaluable to the League; everyone here has benefitted from her aide." It was J'onn Jonzz, Martian Manhunter in a rare display of anger.

Bruce inhaled deeply before speaking again. "I need to do this alone, because if anything happens to me my team is going to need all your help to save Barbara _and_ Gotham." Before anyone could object further Batman put his hands up to elaborate. "It's my responsibility, everyone warned me how dangerous Maleficent was, and now Barbara and Gotham are suffering for it, it has to be me that fixes it." Bruce firmly stated with all his Batman determination.

"You call us if you need it Bruce." Superman told his longtime friend when he realized there was no talking Batman out of going alone after Maleficent.

Batman just glared at the group as he stepped onto to the teleports platform and looked over to Cyborg. "Victor, keep your communications open, Alfred is working on something that might help me defeat Maleficent, I need you to transfer it to me through the teleporter when it's ready." He grimly said to Cyborg who spoke for everyone when he asked. "What; what's Alfred working on for you?" The question was very pointed.

Batman ignored the inquiry and tapped his gauntlet and instantly there was a flash and he was gone.

"Okay, anybody else freaking about that?" Wally asked the group in reference to Batman's behavior.

"Damnit Bruce what are you up to?" Zatanna muttered under her breath in exasperation.

"Kal?" Green Lantern asked skeptically.

"Cyborg keep an eye the situation." Superman ordered Victor without answering Kyle but equally concerned.

Black Canary and Green Arrow looked at each other knowingly and both determinedly walked over to the teleporter.

"Where are you guys going?" Wally asked the super-couple.

"Going to Gotham to help; I don't care if _he_ has a problem with it." Dinah replied with a hint of anger that was not going subside anytime soon as she tapped on her own wrist watch.

"What she said." Green Arrow added.

"Hey wait for me, Dick may need some help!" Flash said as he zoomed to the transporter as it was firing up.

"I will do more to find out about Maleficent and call you as soon as I can!" Zatanna called out as the trio dematerialized as they were transported to Gotham.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of a mysterious forest, the air suddenly electrified and suddenly exploded in brilliant flash of light. Once the energy dissipated Batman emerged from the energy burst. Standing up, Bruce surveyed his surroundings grimly. _"You may have won the first time Maleficent because I underestimated you and you made me pay for it; but you underestimate me too; I don't give up, I'm not afraid of you and what's more you made the worst mistake you could possibly have made; you made this personal."_ Bruce contemplated with controlled anger as he stood tall in the forest prepared for whatever challenge lay before him. _"And this is war."_

**TO BE CONTINUED.**

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If you like this story feel free to share your thoughts and review.


	7. Chapter 7

 

 Just some quick FYI. The lines between sentences and paragraphs are supposed to represent a change of setting. Other than that, as always thank you and enjoy the story.

 

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 Briar Rose always looked forward to this part of her walks in the forest. It's when he would show up. Her mysterious friend who would walk with her and talk with her. She could never make out his face, but he always would tell her that he was a prince in a nearby kingdom, not that it mattered to Briar Rose, she was content with being a peasant and was just glad to have a friend to converse with. It was however an added bonus. Alas their walk was coming to an end much to her bemusement. This is when he would take her into his powerful but gentle arms. And just as they were going into each other for a kiss, they were suddenly interrupted by loud series of screeches. Both looking up with a mix of fear and awe they could see a massive swarm of bats flying just above the forest canopy.

 "Rose, time to get up dear!" A sweet but commanding voice called out, startling her awake from her pleasant if unusual dream.

 "Ohhh; ooh be down in a minute Aunt Fauna." She moaned with after a surprised yelp as she wiped her eyes to get the sleeping feeling out of them.

 "Dear are you all right up there?" Another voice called down from downstairs with concern.

 "Yes Aunt Merryweather, I was just sleeping so deeply I was just startled that's all." She replied to her 'aunt'.

 "Another dream about him again, what could it all mean and why were bats there this time; how bizarre." She muttered to herself as she steadily got out of bed. Picking up a brush from her vanity table to brush her long golden locks and went to the window and threw it open and inhaled the fresh morning air as she pushed her curious thoughts aside to accommodate a new day. Gazing out at the woods she began humming a little tune to herself as she began brushing her bouncy golden hair. The dreams were becoming more and more frequent. It was always the same she go out for her regular excursions into the woods to visit her animal friends of the forest and he would show up unexpectedly. Initially she dismissed these dreams as nothing more than a manifestation of her desires to get out and see the world and meet some people. Especially someone she could share a loving relationship with like the folktales her aunts would read to her as a child. But their recurring frequency had forced her to reconsider the possibility that something far more fantastical was at play. She recalled reading somewhere that if you dream a dream more than once it sure to come true. Well she certainly dreamt it more than once. In fact she would say she has had that same dream almost every night for the last few weeks. Before she could contemplate further, her thoughts were interrupted by two songbirds tweeting as she brushed her. "Well, hello there." She said happily to her two feathered friends.

 The two birds chirped excitedly at Briar Rose who an amazing ability to empathize and understand the forest creatures that had been her only companions in all of her fifteen going on sixteen years. "I will be out in a moment." She said to the two birds with a smile.

 "Rose, hurry up dear, breakfast is almost ready." Another one of her aunts called.

 "In a moment Aunt Flora." Rose replied while rolling her eyes in response to her aunt's impatience. Putting her minor frustrations with her guardians aside she winked at her bird companions and twirled away from the window humming her little tune as she went about making her bed which the two little birds happily straightened out her coverings. Briar gleefully danced her way behind a curtain to get changed. Over the top came the purple nightgown, reaching into her closet she picked out her peasant dress. Once her morning routine was done for she flounced downstairs

 "There you are!" Merryweather said with a hint of exasperation from the table.

 "My apologies but it is such a nice morning, I wanted enjoy it." Rose replied politely as she sat down to have her breakfast with her three guardians.

 "Well at any rate, there is much to do today." Flora began authoritatively. "We need to clean the cottage and pick berries to stock up on food." She explained to the group as they all enjoyed their meal.

 "I'll pick the berries, if that is all-right?" Briar offered.

 "Of course it will, thank you dear." Flora answered.

 The group ate in comfortable silence until they were finished. When the dishes were done being cleaned, Rose put her purple shawl over her head and got her basket to go out into the woods for her errands. "I won't be long." She told her aunts.

 "Don't worry Rose take your time and be careful of strangers as always." Fauna tenderly but firmly replied.

 "I will." Briar Rose said with a loving smile, before she went out the door down the path towards and into the woods, out of sight.

 When Rose disappeared in the forest, the three sweet old ladies looked at each other knowingly. Their smiles slowly dissipate into somber expressions. "Tomorrow." Merryweather sighed to her sisters sadly.

 "Yes." Fauna sniffed wiping away a tear.

 "Now, now let's not get all sour we still have today and tomorrow we celebrate, we are just going to make these final days count." Flora assured through her own cracking voice with Fauna and Merryweather reluctantly agreeing.

 

******

Batman stood erect in the mysterious forest when he tapped his cowls communicator. "Batman to Cyborg, can you read me?"

_"Loud and clear Batman."_ Victor Stone answered.

 "I'm on the Island, I need you to scan for any EMF spikes." The Dark Knight immediately requested of Cyborg.

  _"EMF readings?"_ Cyborg asked, bewildered.

 "Electromagnetic field readings, it's how we tracked Maleficent in Gotham." Batman explained

_"Understood, give me a minute."_ Cyborg replied. After only a few moments Bruce heard a frustrated sigh. _"Damn!"_

 "What is it?" Batman asked abruptly with concern.

_"Batman, EMF readings are fluctuating all over this island, it's like the whole island is alive, I'm sorry but I can't give you a definitive location on her."_ Cyborg regretfully explained.

 Batman clinched his fist and gritted his teeth upon hearing the news but still managed to keep his composure. "Understood, keep the comms open, I'll be in touch."

 "Good luck Batman."

 "All right back to basics." Batman muttered to himself when he got off with Cyborg, knowing that if he was to find Maleficent was going to take good old fashion detective work. Kneeling down he tapped his gauntlets keypad. Immediately a holographic image of the map was projected. "Barbara said the mountain in the southern region of the island could be a castle, but she wasn't certain." Batman said to himself, highlighting the structure in question. "Even if I was certain this was her hideout, going in would be certain suicide; she may be weak against physical attacks but she heals too fast for me to take any meaningful advantage of it." Batman then zoomed in on the urban center Oracle was able to identify from the satellite image she hacked. "My best bet to find any information on her is the city in the central hub of the island." Bruce thought hopefully as he quickly calculated the walk from his current location. "A days, maybe two days walk at least." Batman decided it would be wise to remove his gear and move about incognito. He figured it would be wise to gather information in disguise and went about removing his armor, cowl, gauntlets and cape. Once his suit had been removed and gathered in his cape, Bruce went into his utility belt, removed a fake mustache and began to hike north as he tapped his comms again. "Batman to Commissioner Gordon, come in."

_"Gordon here, any luck with Maleficent Batman?"_ Gordon asked in reply, eager for any updates on the search for the dark fairy who had put his daughter in a magical slumber.

 "Not yet, I'm headed towards the urban center of the island to gather clues; what's the situation in Gotham?" Bruce asked.

_"It didn't take long for everyone to take advantage of the situation; Black Mask, Scarface and Penguin are already fighting for control of the Cauldron, Two-Face has begun raiding Banks in the Fashion District, and Anarchy is throwing molotov's in the Diamond District."_ Commissioner Gordon explained as calmly as he could of the chaos already hitting Gotham.

 "What about Arkham and Blackgate?" Batman inquired, fearing the worst out of the hated asylum and prison.

  _"I've called in every available officer and beefed up security at Arkham and Blackgate, they're not a problem, yet."_ Gordon elaborated with cautious optimism.

 "Understood, keep me posted, I'll be in touch."

_"We're managing okay so far; just find Maleficent Bruce, please."_ Jim practically pleaded. He was worried about Barbara. Of course he was. Everyone in the family was. Bruce himself included.

 "Just take care of Gotham Jim, I'll find Maleficent and we'll wake Barbara, I promise." Batman assured sternly as he continued to march through the woods.

  _"I will, and thanks Bruce, take care."_ With that Gordon cut out.

 Batman then made one more call with his comms. "Quinn come in." He called the former clown princess of crime.

_"Is that you B-man?"_ Harley squawked absent mindedly over the comms.

 "Who else would it be?" Bruce lightly snarled in frustration at Harley's cluelessness.

  _"Yeah I recognize that snarl, what's up Bats?"_ Quinn replied sarcastically.

 "How's Barbara?" Batman asked solemnly not really expecting anything but wanted to check in regardless.

 

 ***** 

"She's still doing the world's greatest Rip Van Winkle impression; don't worry though she's as snug as bug; totally comfy." Harley answered while looking at Barbara who lay in her bed in peaceful repose. "Any luck finding the witch?"

 

***** 

"Not yet, I'm on her trail now, just keep an eye on Barbara and report any changes to me." Batman ordered firmly.

_"Will do, and B-man, it uh…it means a lot to me you know, that your… your trusting me to take care of Babs, thanks"_ Harley said, her voice cracking a bit.

 "If anything happens, call me Harley." Batman gently but sternly said after a moment of tense silence and got off with Harley and with that he continued his march north as the sun rose over the horizon.

 

*****

Briar Rose strolled daintily through the forest coming to random bushes to pick berries. She was coming up to her favorite spot when she cleared her throat to call out to her forest friends. There she belt out the loveliest soprano that could be heard for miles around. The first to come out was a little chipmunk who scurried up to her where Briar took it into her hand and brought it up to her face where the woodland creature gave her an affectionate small peck on her cheek for which she released him where he would help awaken the rest of the animals of the forest.

 

*****

Batman had been hiking through the dense woods when he suddenly heard a faint sound in the distance. Bruce stopped to make out the ethereal sound. It sounded like a woman singing. "Singing, out here?" Bruce thought in consideration to the isolation of his location. Figuring he needed to get a read out on the people who lived here, Bruce turned in the direction of the singing.

 

***** 

Briar Rose was continuing her playful romp through the forest as she was joined by more forest creatures who gathered to greet their longtime human companion. Belting out another gorgeous soprano, a grey and brown owl flew down with a few berries in his beak that Briar gratefully accepted as she continued to collect more berries with the assistance. _"I wonder, I wonder, I wonder why each little bird has a someone, to sing to, sweet things to, a gay little love melody?"_ She serenated to her friendly woodland companions as she went about her chore.

 

*****

Batman was nearing a clearing where the singing was getting louder. Looking to the forest canopy he figured he could maintain stealth cover easier in the trees. He took out his grappling gun and fired at a sturdy tree branch which pulled him up instantly. Getting a wide, clear view of the clearing he was able to make a young blonde woman seemingly frolicking and singing amongst animals?

 

*****

_"I wonder, I wonder if my heart keeps singing, will my go winging to someone who'll find me. And bring back a love song to me?"_ The young blonde finished her and settled down on tree stump as her animal friends gathered around.

 

*****

"Animal empathy, similar to Wonder Woman's, maybe even full communication." Thought Bruce as he observed the girl.

 

*****

"Oh dear, will I ever leave this forest?" She asked her companions that gathered around with a forlorn expression as a squirrel jumped into her lap. "Will they ever let me make any friends?"

The owl flew to her side with a hoot that sounded like 'who.'

 "Aunt Flora, Aunt Fauna, Aunt Merryweather." The blonde explained with a non-challans shrug. "I love them so, but they behave so strangely sometimes almost as if they're hiding something." She elaborated further a green songbird sitting on branch looked over at the tree next to him and noticed an unusually dark shadow brooding there. Fearfully, the bird flew down to alert the group that they were being watched. "Goodness, whatever is the matter!" Briar Rose exclaimed when the bird flew around her head. The other animals squeaked and chirped at the bird until he motioned to tree above them, pointing out the foreboding shadow. Immediately all of Briar's animal friends began motioning for her to look up into said tree which she did. To her shock she saw what was causing the commotion. "Oh!"

 

*****

Bruce scowled when he knew he was made. It was hardly the first time he had his cover blown. But that was during his first few years as Batman. What would the rest of the team think when they find out he'd been discovered by a blithely innocent girl who admittedly can seemingly communicate with animals and possibly nature which might make his stealth skills moot.

 "I know you there." The girl with surprising gentle firmness called out to Batman. "Don't be afraid, please come out!" She called again with much less sternness.

 "I am not afraid." Bruce bluntly answered in deep baritone voice.

 

* * *

 

So finally the heroes of Sleeping Beauty and Batman finally meet. If you're enjoying this story by all means review and share ideas if you have any. Thank you again for your readership.


	8. Chapter 8

As always all characters belong to their respective companies

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Rose gulped in fear when she heard the sound of his deep gruff voice. She realized she was interacting with another human being for the first time ever. A stranger no less! Something her Aunts had warned her about since forever. She looked back at her animal friends who were just as unnerved by the unknown interloper especially the owl who hooted and shrugged his shoulders. "Then please come out." She responded with a sweet tone, her curiosity far outweighing any fear she may have had for the stranger. Batman almost grinned at the young girl's show of strength. Nevertheless Bruce knew there was no point in hiding, especially when he was going to need answers regarding Maleficent and quickly. Even if this girl didn't know anything about the sorceress she could provide at least some intel about this island. Rose saw from out of the bushes came a muscular black haired, mustachioed man dressed in strange black clothes carrying a sack. "Who are you?" Briar Rose asked Batman.

Bruce thought for a moment, he couldn't say Batman and he definitely didn't want to use his real name. After another tense moment he finally spoke. "John, my name is John." Bruce said using his an old name he used while he trained around the world for crime fighting.

"Well hello John, my name is Briar Rose." She answered unafraid, in fact she smiled at him. If he was going to hurt her, he's had plenty of time to do so she figured, she was still curious as to what he is doing out here. "Why were you up in that tree?"

"I'm not from here, I don't know anyone so when I heard you I got into the tree to observe you, that's all." He answered.

Briar arched her eyebrow at him at the answer. "Where did you come from?"

"Where I come from is not Important, what's important is _why_ I'm here." Batman answered cryptically. He didn't have time to explain Gotham and everything else.

Rose tensed at the comment but decided to continue the strange conversation. "All right… _Why_ are you here in the forest?" She asked delicately.

"A friend… is sick, I'm looking for a cure." Batman answered, half-truthfully after a moment of contemplation, he didn't want to give away too much, _yet_.

"Oh dear how awful!" Briar exclaimed sincerely.

"There's a city north of here, do you know anything about it?" Batman asked.

"Yes it's a kingdom I see it all the time on my walks." Briar excitedly explained, knowing the place he spoke of.

"You've never been there?" Bruce asked disappointed.

"No." Rose answered, disappointed herself. "But I know a short way to get there." She explained on with more excitement, clearly eager to be of help to the stranger. Her expression however turned sullen. "But it still at least a day's walk without a horse."

"Well, that does at least give me _some_ valuable time." Bruce said sounding not terribly impressed. "Time I don't have." He added grimly when he thought of Barbara trapped in seemly eternal sleep and Gotham ensnared by Maleficent's vines.

"I can show you how to get to the kingdom, and I can get you more clothes at my home if you give me a moment to gather some extra berries for you." Briar offered eagerly. "You're going to need food and water on your travels." She added firmly when she noticed him scowl a bit at the offer

"Fine." Bruce relented knowing after a sigh and she went about her task with her animal friends assisting. He didn't want to admit it, but the family and everyone else was right. But he needed _some_ help. And this young girl is so far the only help he has at the moment.

"Shall we go then?" Rose asked after about ten minutes of gathering berries with a peppy grin, holding a basket that nearly overflowed with berries.

With a curt nod Batman agreed. And together they walked through the forest. Bruce's constantly observed his surroundings, memorizing them in case he needed to come back here later. Rose on the other hand seemed to know exactly where she was going having lived in the woods all her life.

"You live out here alone?" Bruce asked noting the animals following him were eyeing with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, they were being protective of Rose he assumed. He couldn't help but be curious if they were they were only companions she had.

"Hmm, oh me, oh no, I live with my aunts in an old woodcutters cottage in the glen about a mile down the trail." She explained with a little giggle.

"Why do you live so far out here?" He asked sincerely curious.

Briar stopped in her tracks abruptly. Looking at her Bruce could see that she was in deep thought.

"What is it?" Batman asked somewhat concerned.

"Nothing, it's just I've lived here in the forest my whole life." She started. Bruce listened intently to what she had to say. "Would you believe you're actually the first person I've met besides my Aunts, ever?" She stated in exasperation at the realization.

Bruce on the other hand scratched his chin. He contemplated what the Rose told him. This was a rather interesting development to say the least, even it had nothing to do with Maleficent. "So you've lived in total isolation all this time?" He asked doing well to hide his surprise at her rather well developed social skills.

"Yes, I've asked my aunt's about it, but they always answer that the world is a dangerous place and that I would understand one day." She answered with some hint of resentment to Bruce who arched his eyebrow curiously at her as they resumed their walk through the woods in uncomfortable silence. Before long they came to clearing where Batman got his first look at the quant little cottage that she lived. "Stay here for a moment, my aunts aren't too keen on strangers." She explained as she flaunted towards the cottage leaving Bruce to wait patiently.

"Aunt Flora, Aunt Fauna, Aunt Merryweather!" The three bubbly little ladies heard their adoptive niece call out from outside.

"Rose!" Merryweather exclaimed in surprise from her cooking.

"She's back far too early!" Flora added. What made it her early return a lot more unsettling was the fact that her tone was urgent. Something was wrong they could tell especially when she burst through the door with a look on her face that confirmed their suspicions. "Dear what is the matter?" She asked her niece.

"There's a man in the woods…" Rose began before her aunts interrupted her when they heard that she had met some stranger in the woods.

"Rose you met a stranger!" Flora asked in shock.

"Y-yes I did." Briar answered after a moment of stuttering with nervousness. "His is friend is sick and he's trying to go to the kingdom for a cure, I thought we should help him with food and clothes." She explained further.

"Wait, you brought him here!" Flora added in fury that seemed to shake Rose.

"Of course I did, what you expect of me, to leave him to wander the woods aimlessly?" She asked back, completely flustered by aunt's angry scolding.

"Perhaps." Flora tried to mutter under breath but was heard by everyone including Briar as poked her head out the door to get a look at the stranger.

"What did you say Aunt Flora?" Rose asked, the tone in her voice betraying a rarely if ever displayed anger that was evident to her aunts.

"Flora please…" Fauna tried to reason with her elder sister before Rose interrupted.

"How can you be so cruel?!" She shouted in righteous fury that took her aunts by surprise. Briar had never shouted, ever. Especially in anger. "I told you, his friend is ill and needs help!"

"Rose dear, there are things in this world, people _so_ evil you cannot even begin to fathom what their capable of doing." Flora answered after a moment of sniffing back a few tears at her nieces rage towards her.

"You keep saying that, all of you all the time." Briar spoke with a much calmer but still firm tone after seeing her aunt nearly cry. "What do you mean by that?" She further asked trying but failing to keep her frustration in check. "Why do we live like this to the point where we can't trust anyone or go anywhere?" She demanded.

For a moment all three of her guardians were silent, seemingly trying to come up with something to say, anything. Merryweather put a hand on Flora's shoulder. "She's right, we can't do this."

"Why don't we let him in and just give him what he needs and see him on his way." Fauna offered.

"Of course." Flora conceded with a heavy sigh. Rose went to the door in a bit of a huff. Before she opened the door she felt a small tug on her arm. Looking down it was Flora. "Rose; dear I promise one day, very soon we will explain everything to you I swear." She said.

"I hope so Aunt Fauna, I really do." Briar said with a somber expression.

Bruce could hear the argument from outside the cottage. He seriously contemplated leaving with or without help. He didn't have time for this. Gotham needed him. Barbara needed him. Just as he was about to leave Briar Rose opened the door.

"Come in John." She said sweetly to him.

He complied following her in. Once inside he was introduced to three short, older women. The one in red was the leader apparently, Flora. The one in green was named Fauna. And Merryweather was the one in Blue. _"Odd, they all dress individually in one color."_ Bruce mentally noted when he saw them.

"Have a seat, I'll have everything ready in a moment for you." Briar added.

All three were giving him cold stares. Rose on the other hand smiled sweetly, encouragingly at him as she went about making a traveling sack for him.

Flora cleared her throat. "Rose tells us you have friend is ill, is that right stranger?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered bluntly. All three older women stared at him for a moment curiously over the lack of details. Truth be told, Rose was also finding 'Johns' evasiveness over the nature of his friends sickness a bit baffling.

"Do you care to elaborate; perhaps we could help." Fauna meekly offered somewhat to the tall muscular Bruce who looked down in contemplation.

"I doubt it." Bruce said before realization that he needed information about Maleficent. _Any_ information. He knew he had to tell _some_ of truth. With a heavy sigh he ran his hands over his face. "The truth is, my friend was put under an irreversible sleep spell by a sorceress who invaded my city."

As soon he said the word 'sorceress' all of the women went wide eyed with shock.

"And this sorceress is from this land!" The one called Merryweather frantically asked.

"Yes, I know for a _fact_ she is from here; why?" Bruce demanded.

"Aunt Flora, Fauna, Merryweather what is it, what is the matter?" Rose asked worried at their sudden, frightened demeanor.

"Rose go upstairs." Flora ordered her niece.

"What?"

"Rose _please_ , go upstairs!" Fauna implored.

Slowly Briar went upstairs. Looking back at her guardians and 'John' fearfully at what was transpiring.

As soon as she was upstairs and her room door closed the three women turned their attentions back to Bruce. "This sorceress, what is her name?" Flora asked dreading the answer.

"You _know_ who I'm talking about!" He growled pointedly. All three practically doubled over as if they were ill at his clear accusation.

"W…why would you believe we know anything about this?" Fauna stuttered meekly.

"Because you're all shaking so hard, one would think you were having a seizure." Bruce explained.

All three women looked at each other confounded by the sudden turn of events before Bruce spoke again. "She just didn't attack my friend, she trapped my city in forest of thorns, my _entire_ city, I need to find her now!" Batman added emphasizing his point.

"You fought…Maleficent?" Flora finally found the courage to utter her hated rival's name through much difficulty.

"Yes." Batman answered straightly.

"And lived?" Merryweather gasped in shocked, impressed at this feat. Bruce nodded in reply confirming what he said.

"So far; she's weak to physical attacks but not weak enough, I need to know any other weakness she may have." He explained hoping to get some answers.

All three looked at each other wondering what to do before Merryweather took some initiative. "Good sir, will you please wait outside for a moment?" She sweetly requested as she ushered him outside the cottage. After the blue dressed woman closed the door with a smile Bruce reached into his utility belt and pulled out an electronic stethoscope and placed it up against the door to listen in on any conversation going on.

Meanwhile in the cottage living space the three little women were arguing amongst themselves.

"What are we doing!?" Merryweather incredulously said.

"How could Maleficent have gotten through the barrier charm; that was the most powerful spell we ever cast?!" Flora asked nobody in particular.

_'So they are magic casters.'_ Bruce thought when he confirmed his suspicion.

"We should ask him maybe he would he could give us a clue." Merryweather calmly suggested.

"Are you daft, we can't trust him?!" Flora replied incredulously.

"You think he is a spy for Maleficent!?" Fauna asked with concern.

"We can't take any chances, especially now with Rose going home tomorrow; we have to get rid of him." Flora insisted.

"And if he is not a spy Flora, then what?" Flora asked, worried at the prospect of turning a stranger in genuine need away without helping him.

Flora deeply contemplated but not for long. "I know what you two are thinking, but I'm afraid protecting Rose is our primary concern, I'm sorry he must leave." Flora sighed with deep regret as Merryweather and Fauna just hung their heads low. Merryweather gathered up the provisions Rose had prepared and headed to the door to confront Bruce.

Batman hearing the conversation coming to an end and approaching footsteps, quickly put the stethoscope away in his belt before the small when the blue coded woman opened the door.

With a sad expression Merryweather looked up at the much taller man. "I'm sorry stranger there's nothing we can do for you." She said quickly wanting to get this conversation over as quickly as possible. To her surprise Bruce seem to quickly accept what was said to him. In fact he took the bag of food, clothes and was turning to walk away with the small rotund woman unaware that he had been privy to their conversation. Merryweather was at first going to go back into the cottage when she stopped at the door. Looking over her shoulder as the mysterious 'John' was walking away, she just couldn't let him leave without helping him in some way. The idea of Maleficent surrounding his city by un-breakable thorns and trapping his dear friend in an eternal death slumber like Rose was cursed to be was too much to think about. "John wait!" Merryweather called and ran up to him as fast as she could. "Your friend?"

Bruce looked down at her with a curious eyebrow raised. "Yes?" He asked bluntly.

"Do you love her?" Merryweather asked meekly.

"What do you mean?" Batman asked bewildered by the inquiry.

"Do you _love_ her?" She asked again with emphasis.

Bruce could tell there was something she was getting at but couldn't decipher the meaning behind the line of questioning. "A _lot_ of people love her, why?" He asked again.

"Good." Merryweather muttered under her breath which Bruce barely made out.

"Good, how?" He asked not trying to sound too eager for an answer.

Merryweather looked down at the ground, wondering how much she should divulge to this mysterious stranger, she looked up at 'John' comfortingly. "True love can be the most powerful weapon of all against evil." She explained but thinking she had already had gone too far even though she sensed no danger or threat from him decided it was too risky to talk anymore. "I'm terribly sorry but I've already talked too much and I sincerely bid you good fortune on your journey." She said with genuine regret as she turned around to go back into the cottage, neither of them aware that Briar Rose had been listening in on their conversation from her upstairs room.

When the door was closed Bruce took his leave and walked into the woods. Once he was reasonably sure that he was out of sight he sat down on a log to contemplate. "Love?" He muttered to himself. "What could she possibly have meant by that?" It wasn't that Bruce didn't believe in the concept of love. Far from it in fact. He felt it all the time, for his deceased parents, Alfred and his extended surrogate family, even Tahlia Al Ghul and Selina Kyle. Bruce recalled Zatanna saying that the spell Barbara was under was a dark spell but mixed with light magic. Did human emotions for one another constitute a form of magic that could break the spell he pondered? If so what had to be done? Something simple like a kiss or a declaration of love?

Suddenly a terrible thought entered his mind. Bruce was not spiritual but he studied the Bible for a time mostly to understand the minds of religious fanatics he fought over the years and John 15:13 stated that, "Greater love hath no man then the one that lays his life down for his friends." Batman shuddered to think that in order to awaken Barbara from Maleficent's spell would mean someone within the family would have to give their life. Granted that was possibly the worst case scenario he hoped and not the actual cure he was searching for. Still in many cultures around the world _that_ was considered the greatest act of true love. Bruce knew he was jumping to conclusions. There's no indication that it was necessary. But it was still a cause for concern. And another problem, what kind of love was she getting at? Parental, romantic, platonic? Bruce rubbed his temples in frustration. This was giving him a headache. This adds another reason why he hates magic. The damned vagueness of it all! However it was the only lead that was even close to being solid. After a few more moments of contemplation he tapped his gauntlets comms.

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Going have to leave it there for now otherwise this chapter would go on and on. Thank you again for your readership.


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